• Leading gourmet Egon Ronay has bitterly criticised the standard
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of food sold at motorway services stations following his latest tour of inspection along the M4 and M5.
He says he was forced to spit out one meal he sampled, a stuffed Yorkshire pudding from RoadChef s Sedgemoor restaurant on the M5. It was "pigsswill" and among the worst food he had encountered in 30 years of inspecting, he says.
He blames a lack of competition for the catalogue of failings he discovered, in dried-out fried eggs at Granada's Reading Restaurant on the M4 and a steak and kidney pie at Welcome Break's Gordano services on the M5 which had the consistency of "axle grease" although some other dishes were more favourably received.
Bev Hannen, a driver with chilled food carrier Plymouthbased Armoric Freight says: "He echoes everything I feel. The standard is diabolical" RoadChef says Ronay's comments are "highly subjective" but adds immediate action will be taken on the criticisms. The firm's Sedgemoor restaurant is being re-equipped this winter. Granada says its breakfasts are now so popular they are available 24 hours a day, so it was surprised at the criticisms.
Egon Ronay conducted his inspection with the Daily Telegraph.